The Waltz of Life
by Magical-Marvel-Mr.Mistoffelees
Summary: Love is like a dance, ever spinning, twisting and turning. It is always changing to the rhythm of life. Two young Jellicles experience the ways of life and love, it's twists and spins, coming out of each situation all the stronger and closer. My entry for BroadwayKhaos' Jellicle Week Contest that I never thought I'd be able to upload.
1. Chapter 1

Victoria, the beautiful white queen of the Jellicle Junkyard had an utterly repulsed expression upon her face as her friend Electra rambled on about her tomfriend being such a "knight in shining armor." Tori's nose was scrunched, her brows were knitted and she scowled as she physically felt herself getting nauseous as the young orange, black and brown stripped queen tittered on. Everyone knew that Leccy had the biggest crush on her tomfriend, Mr. Mistoffelees. Victoria, secretly, had a crush on the handsome tuxedo tom as well, but she had never openly admitted it to anyone. The tom himself was in the dark on the subject.

She listened to this queen gush over him every single day and it was beginning to wear on her and turn her sorrow into pure jealousy, if jealousy could even be deemed as such. Today, however, she decided to let her mind wander instead of sitting quietly and politely, listening on and on. How ridiculously cliché of Leccy to pick such a phrase for Mr. Mistoffelees. True, he had saved Old Deuteronomy and he had also saved some queens from "certain death." This, of course, consisted of finding a lost fur brush, removing a thorn from a paw, rescuing Cetty from boredom and carrying Victoria to the medical den when she sprained her ankle. That memory brought a blush to Victoria's tan rimmed alabaster cheeks.

He had taken such care and consideration for her, always making sure that she was comfortable within his arms. She hadn't expected him to carry her, especially considering his small build. There again, he was a dancer and his muscles were more powerful than appearances would tend to believe. Just like his powers, she mused with a soft smile. No one would ever expect such a petite little tom to have such awestriking magical powers, but that was Mr. Mistoffelees.

She sighed dismally, giving Electra a quick nod as the queen asked her some question or another. Ever since the Ball, Victoria had wanted to tell him she had a crush on him. Most cats thought she would have been head-over-tail in love with Plato. He was a great tom, truly, but she could never see him as anything more than a friend. The tom himself had told her that he simply wanted to be friends. He felt he didn't have to try and please her or impress her. They were good friends. Besides, he had been chosen to bring her of age at the Ball and she hardly remembered it. She had been a little too maddened by the moonlight to recall it. It was a very foggy memory. She had much clearer memories of the times Mistoffelees had graced her with his presence. They had even napped together when it was time for all of the Jellicles to rest and recharge after dancing so wildly.

Victoria couldn't take it anymore. She was sick to the brim with stories of "Mistoffelees said this and it was so cute," or "I wish you girls had a shining knight like me." It was truly stupid that Electra called him such things. Angel, hero or savior could be better, and far less cliché, choices. Even so, Victoria thought Mistoffelees was too good, unique and eccentric to be put into a labeled box such as these things were. He was himself, and that was good enough for her. How she longed to be good enough for him.

She left, sighed and trudged along dismally, aimlessly wondering through the 'yard. She was all alone, pretending that the tom she admired wasn't taken and was with her. She could close her eyes and feel his arms around her. She imagined him whispering words of love into her ear and a wide grin spread across her face. Her heart raced inside of her chest as she entertained this internal game of pretend. He took her paws in his, bowed lowly before her with that characteristic smirk she loved so dearly and he asked her for a dance. She kept her eyes closed for she knew the vision would fade if she opened them even just a crack. She accepted the phantom's invitation with a wide grin and curtsied before him.

She and her imaginary Mistoffelees danced a slow and gentle waltz. She could just feel his paw grasping her paw, his other planted firmly on her side. Every so often, she would toy with the idea of him stroking over her headfur and giving her forehead a kiss. She shivered at the thought of it and a smile graced her gentle lips. She softly twirled in a little spin, feeling rather than seeing the rain that had begun to fall. She continued to dance with this imaginary partner, getting more and more carried away with the dance. She didn't care if she seemed crazy. She was madly in love, after all and she couldn't do anything about it. She had finally admitted it to herself. She loved him. She was insanely in love with a tom who saw her as a best friend or a sister and nothing more. She tried to push the thoughts away, stubbornly keeping up the charade of dancing with Mistoffelees. She was trying to forget that he hadn't spoken with her since the Ball. She was trying to wipe away from her memory the fact that he had chosen one of her friends over her. She tried not to recall that Mistoffelees could never or would never love her. He was happy while she faded away into depression and listlessness.

She paused in her dance, her eyes as firmly shut as when she had begun. She shook her head and resumed, squeezing the imaginary paw of the conjuring tom all the tighter. And ignored the pain of her claws digging into her pads. She was going to dance with her Mistoffelees. In her daydreams, he could always be hers.

She pulled the nonexistent tom all the closer, standing up on her toes to give his forehead a sweet kiss. She shivered in the rain, her coat now almost completely soaked. She ignored the cold and the wet and continued with her imaginary waltz.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't last long as she twirled once, slipped in a puddle of mud and came crashing into the sodden earth beneath her. Her eyes opened automatically and she let out a faint cry as she came to realize it was truly her imagination she had been playing with. Mistoffelees wasn't with her, he hadn't caught her as she fell. There was no one to catch her and prevent her from colliding into the hard ground below her. She began to sob as she gently pushed herself up from the puddle, her arms shaking in pain, cold and grief. She was an idiot. What had she expected? A knight in shining armor to come and rescue her from falling? That hope was pure folly! There was no knight for her. Electra's knight wouldn't come running for her. Mistoffelees was Electra's knight, not hers.

She was all alone in the world. She had no hero, no angel, no savior. She had no other half, no completion or lover. She stood shakily, her tears brimming to her eyes and she sniffed as she wrapped her arms about herself from the cold. There was a sharp pain in her side and she gently wiped the mud away to find a large scrape going down her side. Not only was she alone and in the rain, but she was injured because of her own foolishness. The tears finally flowed down her cheeks and she choked out bitter, heart-wrenching sobs. She had never been so hurt in all her life. That tiny little part of her heart that had held onto a hope that Mistoffelees would come to her aid one day had finally shattered. He had only ever been there once. He had never come again. She shouldn't have nurtured a hope that he would have. It had only been chivalry. It was his duty to aid her at that time, nothing more.

Stupid and idiotic toms! How had he made her fall in love with him? He must have done something! She shook her head, trying to wipe away her tears. She began to head back to her own den, where she could care for her wound and tend to her broken heart. She knew she was a fool and was incredibly ashamed of herself. A sudden flash of lightning and a booming of thunder made her jump and she quickly dashed into the nearest possible shelter.

She cowered in this abandoned cavern of refuse, her tears striking with full force. Even though she had thought it cliché, she had still wanted a knight in shining armor. Her heart didn't care how cliché it was or how ridiculous, it wanted it all the same. She gingerly licked her newly made scrape until she could no longer stand its stinging. She hoped it would heal and wouldn't become infected. Once more, she had to attend to her own wounds. There was no one else to heal them or nurse them. She sighed, drying her tears though they continued to fall. She cautiously curled into a melancholy ball, shutting her eyes against the pain and the raging storm both outside and within. She might as well accept things for what they were. She had lost Mistoffelees. He no longer searched her out, he didn't even notice her existence. She felt used and abandoned, but she had to accept it. He had a queen who pleased him. She was just an interim queen for him. She had to let him go and come to terms with her loving him. It meant that she would be alone and single for the rest of her life. She would always be constant with him and would never take a mate besides him. He wasn't offering, so she might as well get used to the solo life.

With a shuddering sob, she drew as tightly into herself as she possibly could. She placed a paw over her aching heart, squeezing her eyes together very tightly. This hurt more than anything she had ever experienced. It wasn't just emotional, it was physical too. Her heart felt like it was constantly getting stabbed, it ached so badly.

She loved the tuxedo cat more than anything in the world. It was to the point where she was more concerned with his happiness and his success in life over hers. She was horribly in love with him, but she was willing to watch him live a happy life without her. His world would turn without her, as it had begun to do so. Her kittenhood friend was gone forever, even though he still lived in the junkyard. They were miles apart now, when they had once been inseparable. She blamed herself for it. Somehow, she must have pushed him away.

With all of these thoughts, her tears finally ceased and she dried them once and for all. Tomorrow would be a new day and things would be just as difficult as they were, but she would get through. All she needed was a good cry once a week. She could put on a brave face for the world. They didn't have to know how torn up she was over him. He didn't have to know how badly she hurt. He didn't seem to care anymore, anyhow. She relaxed her eyes and her body, allowing herself to begin to drift off into sleep. She would wait out this storm and return to her den once it passed. She didn't want anyone worried for her. She settled into herself and quickly fell asleep. Thought the storm did pass, she slumbered on. She found peace and happiness in her dreams; her only sanctuary in a world of hurts. She could finally have her shinning knight, Mr. Mistoffelees, in the fantasies of her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Don't worry, everyone. I have cleared this with BK and am updating everything at once today. My July has been nothing short of crazy busy and my work is running about like mad! I thought I had time, but once it came down to the wire, I started getting slammed! And for some reason, FF is counting extra words in this document when my word document said this is 2,000 words. Oh, well! Enough of my ranting. Please enjoy! I have loved writing both the first and second of these chapters. I hope you enjoy them!**

Victoria's morning, as she had guessed the night before, had been incredibly difficult. Not only had she woken up to a cold and damp cavern of garbage without the love of her life resting beside her, but her wound was beginning to get infected. The scrape was a nasty red, it was tender and it ached something terrible. She had pushed herself from the floor, her body stiff from her infected side and her previous positioning during the night. She had dragged herself out of the little cave and had headed to her den. She now stood outside of it, her mouth agape and a look of absolute shock upon her face.

The doorway to her den had collapsed during the night's storm. She had no way of getting inside! Her home had suffered some serious damage and thank the Everlasting Cat that she hadn't been home during the night! She could have been trapped. Now, however, she needed a place to stay. Who could she stay with until her den was fixed? And who should she tell about her den?

She decided to tell Munkustrap what she had discovered and he asked Alonzo and Skimbleshanks to help assess the situation. They were willing to scope it out and came back, saying that her den would take a couple of weeks to fix. Her heart sunk into her stomach at the news! Two weeks?! Where could she possibly stay during that time? Most of her friends still lived with their parents and she couldn't trespass on their hospitality for two entire weeks!

She was awakened from these thoughts by Munkustrap placing a paw upon her shoulder.

"You should get that scrape checked out," he said, a look of great concern upon his silver and black face.

"I will, thank you," she replied dismally, shuffling away to the medical den.

"I'm glad you were safe during the night, though!" he called after her.

Victoria was almost in tears. Her den was wrecked and she was now in a state of homelessness. She entered Jelly's large den, which doubled as a clinic of sorts. The elder queen attended to her wound as best she could, but she was inundated with cats who had been injured during the storm by falling debris or other misfortunes. She gave the queen a salve and a bandage, instructing her with the correct way to apply it, but she couldn't do it herself. Jennyanydots, the Gumbie cat and other resident nurse was too busy with other cats to even greet the poor white queen.

She carried the small jar of salve and the bandage out, her side stinging and her eyes misted with tears. Her life seemed to be falling apart. She wondered how it could possibly get any better? She seemed to be sinking lower and lower as the days rolled by. Was this to be the worst week of her life?

Suddenly, paws wrapped about her from behind and she cried out, both in surprise and pain. Whoever had her had a firm grip around her wound and had caused her to drop her bandage and medicinal jar. She saw a black paw and a white paw unwrap from around her waist in a startled manner and she turned to come face to face with Mr. Mistoffelees. He had a look of utter worry and concern upon his features as he looked over her.

She hadn't seen him in so long, she just stared at him in surprise. She had no idea what to say to him. She had wanted him by her side so badly yesterday, but now that she hadn't been thinking of him, he was here before her. Her heart couldn't help but swell and quicken its pace. Mistoffelees was here.

His eyes diverted from her face to her side and he bit his lip. That giant scrape down her side was the obvious reason for her crying out and he had been so engulfed in concern, he hadn't even noticed it. He felt rather sheepish. He had heard about her doorway collapsing and had immediately dashed off to find her. He had been struck with the notion of her becoming trapped in that den or its buckling upon her during the night. He had come too close to loosing her physically, though he knew he had failed her and had lost her emotionally.

"I-I'm sorry, Victoria," he admitted with a blush, looking to the ground, "I didn't know you were hurt. I-I heard about what happened to your home..."

His voice trailed off as he was unsure of what else to say. He had been an idiot for several months, avoiding her because she had a strong draw upon him that frightened him. The thought of loosing her had pained him greatly and he thought he had during the Ball. She had been drawn away by many toms, he felt he couldn't ever hold her notice. Then he had gotten snagged by Electra and that only seemed to worsen things. They had stopped talking altogether. The gravity of what could have happened to her during the night had hit him so forcefully that he had to see her. He had to be assured of her safety.

"Yes, well, that's okay," she answered simply and politely, her heart beating ever faster, "Accidents happen,"

"You could have been seriously hurt," he exclaimed softly, looking into her eyes fully for the first time in ages.

A feeling such as a wave of electricity shot through them both as their eyes met. It had been forever it seemed since they had looked into the soul of one another. He felt that connection he always felt with her once more, but it had grown so much stronger through his time apart from her. He could see everything in her dark blue eyes. He could see how much pain she was in over the current state of affairs.

She searched his soft brown eyes, in turn, trying to read all of those emotions he kept hidden from most other cats. The deep and caring look that was held in them was overwhelming. Her desire to have him as her own forever was multiplied tenfold. It was a true shame that he couldn't see how much she loved him. He was entrancing.

Before he even knew what he was doing, he gently wrapped his arms about her in a tender embrace. He nuzzled his head against hers and held her to him as tightly as he could without hurting her. He had such powerful and soft emotions for her. He was so thankful that she was basically unharmed. He did wonder why she had a scrape, but he had more important things to ask her first.

"Victoria, I know you have no place to stay," he began quietly, keeping her within his arms, "And I came to offer you my den. It's not much, but you are welcome to live with me until your den is repaired. I thought you may want to stay with a bachelor instead of with your friends and their parents,"

She pulled back from his arms a little bit to look him in the face, her mouth slightly agape. After all of that time of silence, he was offering her a place to stay? Her eyes misted and she gave him a small, watery smile.

"I-I would like that," she replied quietly.

"I could put up a curtain, so you can have your own private living quarters and everything," he told her softly, giving her a sweet smile as he rubbed a paw up and down one of her shoulders.

"You've really thought this through, huh?" she asked him, deeply flattered and entirely grateful.

"I feel that I owe it to you after how I've treated you," he answered honestly, his disappointment in himself apparent on his features, "I have been the worst best friend in the history of all Jelliclekind and I'm really sorry, Victoria. Could you forgive me? I know I abandoned you when you needed me the most and I want to be here for you now. I understand if you can't, though. I was just hoping-"

"Of course I can forgive you," she replied and cut him off all at once, astonished that he was apologizing to her for his behaviour, "I just hope your queen friend will forgive you once I move in,"

"I have no queenfriend," he told her, his brows scrunching up in a slight bit of confusion, "Didn't you hear? She dumped me last night. She said I was too much of a goody-two-paws, or something ridiculous like that,"

"You are hardly one of those," she scoffed, giving him a playful cuff over the ear.

He couldn't help but laugh with her, a wide smile on his face at the thought of something so silly. He batted her ear gently and gave it a playful bite. He finally released her from his grip, much to her disappointment.

"Come on, Tori," he said, offering her his arm in the most gentletomly fashion, "Let's get you set up and let me doctor that wound of yours for you,"

Her heart was touched by his kindness and she willingly took his arm. In a way, she was getting that knight she wanted, but he was so much better than that. He was a chivalrous and gentletomly stage magician. She thought it better to see him as he was rather than see him as some fantasy hero. He could live up to those simple things, but knighthood could be a challenge, even for him. Still, he had saved her in a way. He saved her heartache, even though he had caused some of it to begin with.

He took excellent care of her once they arrived at his den. He kept to his word and put up a curtain over half of his den for her. He even moved his furniture around so she could have a place to sleep. He surprised her though, by giving her his bed instead of the couch. He had a very nice one, too. It wasn't a pillow or a pile of blankets, like most nests. It was a wooden dolls bed with a navy canopy that had silk pillows, a sheet and a comforter to match. It was luxurious and a dream to lay in. Everything about it was comfortable and she was amused that he spoiled himself so when it came to sleeping. She tried not to think about how it would be to wake in such a bed with him right beside her. She liked the idea, but tried to suppress it. They weren't mates, shame on her!

Once he was finished arranging everything he applied the salve to her side and she couldn't help but shiver against his gentle touch. She had excused it as a reaction from the cold of the salve, but it was an utter lie. He didn't question it, however, and wrapped the bandage around her torso rather skillfully. He had had his share of medical den duty, afteral.

With her fully taken care of he bid her goodnight in the kindest of manners and returned to his side of the newly split den. He knew now, more than ever, that he loved her. He would let it rest until a better time he decided as he lay upon his couch and quickly went to sleep.

Victoria smiled softly as she heard his breathing turn deep in the quiet den, knowing he was asleep. She decided to follow suite, tucking herself amidst the plush covers with a very contented sigh. How the tides had changed for her, she mused. She liked this new turn of events and drifted off into a contented sleep, a smile upon her face as she dreamed of the conjurer across the way who slept in the exact same state, dreaming of her.

**Don't be afraid to tell me what you think! I don't mind going back and improving this once it's all said and done.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This is definitely my nerdy side taking hold. As well as my love for Spiderman. I hope you enjoy and this is much fluffier and sweeter than the first two chapters. I promise! Also, kudos to anyone who say the brief reference to Les Miserables in the first chapter, if anyone ever catches it. ;)**

"You can't be serious... you've never heard of the Rumpus Cat?!" Mistoffelees questioned Victoria, his eyes wide in shock and disbelief.

She sat upon his floor, an array of comic books spread out before her. She had been nosing through his stuff as he was tidying up his den and had found them. Being curious as most cats are, she brought them out and began to search through them. They were all comics about the Great Rumpus Cat.

"I mean, I know we sing a song about him at the Jellicle Ball," she answered, trying not to laugh at the expression on his face, "But, I didn't know he was a character with comics, actions figures and the like. I only know of the song,"

Mistoffelees set down the box he had been carrying in its proper place, walked over and seated himself a bit behind her. He looked over her shoulder, reached around her back and pulled a comic forward, his other arm on her other side. She noticed she was basically in his arms, but she tired to ignore that bit of information. Instead, she looked at the small book before her.

"This is my favourite adventure," he told her, opening up to the first page, arms still resting at either side of her as they were seated on the floor, "Admetus gave some of these to me when I was a little kit. I was being bullied that day and he thought that the Rumpus cat could cheer me up. He was right, of course. He even played with me as the villain and let me be the hero, turning my day from horrid to splendid,"

Victoria smiled at this and looked over the pages, reading the captions there. She was astonished to see how little she knew of this. She thought it was just something to entertain Old Deuteronomy during the Ball. Instead, there was an entire story to it! This particular comic had the Rumpus Cat pitted against a villain he couldn't even see. He had to find some way to see his enemy. She found the storyline very intriguing.

"I wish I had known about this sooner! This is actually really entertaining," she exclaimed, turning to face him.

She felt her back rest into his chest as she looked into his eyes. His face was much closer to hers than she had expected it to be. Mistoffelees seemed a bit surprised by her proximity as well. Some foreign emotion flitted through his eyes as he looked over her face and she wondered what it was. He leaned a bit closer to her face, but suddenly pulled back and turned the page for her, diverting her attention back to the Rumpus Cat once again.

He had almost kissed her, but he was too afraid of her reaction and the consequences to do so. He had wanted to, more than anything, but she didn't know of his feelings and he was ignorant of hers. She was so close to him now, leaning against him in a way that was almost stifling. She seemed distracted enough by the comic that he allowed himself to gaze at her beauty. She was beautiful on the outside and the in. How had he been stupid enough to be afraid of loving her? Why had he left her for so long? Living without her had been so painful and he didn't love Electra. He had been a coward. This feelings were always frightening to him, but he would accept them instead of run. She needed him too much, he could see.

She could feel him looking at her, but tried to ignore it as best she could. She was wondering why he was looking at her in such a way, but she hoped he might be looking her over. She most certainly wanted to appear attractive to him, but she knew that couldn't be the reason, especially since they were only good friends. Still, she was flattered he was looking, no matter how or why he was.

Mistoffelees suddenly stifled a very wide yawn and stretched up, feeling a warm shiver go through his whole body as his arm brushed one of hers. Reluctantly, he pulled himself from her and stood. She looked up to him and he thought he could see a bit of disappointment on her features.

"Where are you going?" she asked, her brow scrunched together in a crestfallen expression.

He felt incredibly guilty for standing. He had never seen her looked so hurt by something so simple as standing away from her. He was almost ready to cave into her and seat himself behind her once more, but a wide yawn stopped him from doing anything.

"I'm tired and I'd like to take a nap," he told her simply and honestly, giving her a little assuring smirk.

"Well, you have been working a great deal," she admitted, returning a smile of her own, "I suppose you've earned it,"

"We can look over more comics once I'm awake, if you'd like," he suggested.

"I would like that," she admitted and she batted a paw in the direction of his nest, "Now, go on and rest,"

He thanked her with a bow of his head and he crawled onto his bed, slipping between his duvet and the sheets. He settled down contentedly and glanced over to see if she would be alright before closing his eyes and allowing himself to rest. He had to sort his feelings out, but he was too tired to do so at this particular time. He was quickly asleep, cuddled up amongst the bed covers.

She looked over him sleeping for a few moments, noting how innocent and kittenish he looked as he slept peacefully. He was very attractive as he lay there, his face perfectly relaxed. She then turned her attentions back to the comic they had been sharing.

She became engrossed in the reading and passed a considerable amount of time just enjoying the story. She read through two more before her focus was brought back to the real world. Mistoffelees had moaned softly in his sleep and that worried her a little bit. She quickly put the comic away and stood, walking over to his nest.

He whimpered a little bit, but the way he did did not sound like pain or a nightmare. In fact, it sounded much more like pleasure. She watched him curiously, inching ever closer to him. He nuzzled his face slowly against his pillow and brought his arms about it, holding it close to him. She was completely amused by this. She wondered what in Heaviside's name he could be dreaming about that caused him to behave like this. He pursed his lips a little bit then relaxed them. She cocked a brow and gingerly seated herself upon his bed. He repeated the same action, this time letting it last a bit longer. Was he pouting in his sleep? She thought he looked rather funny, whatever he was doing.

He moaned happily once more and stroked his paw over the pillow, pulling it to his face. Then, he brushed his lips against it once, purring sleepily. It was then that it dawned upon her. He may have looked kittenish and innocent as he slept, but he was still and adult tom and he obviously had adult tom desires. He brushed his lips against his pillow a few times more and she was assured he was dreaming of some queen. She looked on with a bit of disappointment and hurt. Which queen was he dreaming of doing that with? She wished she could look into his mind and see. She bit her lip and sighed. At least he wasn't whispering whoever's name it was. She couldn't bear to hear another queens name uttered from his lips, not like this.

"I love you," he slurred in his sleep, grinning oh-so-happily.

"I love you too," she muttered with a deep sigh, her features sad and worn now.

He smiled at her words in his slumbering state, but said nothing more. She hadn't thought he had ever kissed a queen, though. Last she knew, he hadn't had a first kiss, just like her. He seemed to know what he was doing now. It saddened her to think such things. Though, she admitted to herself, it was rather difficult to tell whether he actually knew or was just reacting to his dream. He was still incredibly asleep. Perhaps, sleep released all his inhibitions and this was his subconscious, but not actually his inexperienced self. That gave her hope.

She determined to ask him what he was dreaming about once he woke. She would get down to the bottom of this. She yawned and shook her head tiredly. All of that comic reading was rather tiring. She needed a catnap. She smiled upon Mistoffelees as she glanced over to him loving on his pillow, chuckled a bit and settled down at his feet. He wouldn't have to know she was taking a nap with him. She just hoped he wouldn't wake before she did.

About an hour later, he did in fact wake up after a lovely dream about Victoria to find the very queen resting at his feet. He sat up, crawled over to her and looked her over. She was elegant and lovely as she slept. Regal, kittenish and beautiful all at once. He smiled softly and gave her a gentle kiss upon the forehead. He decided to take this opportunity to change her bandage. He put his comics away, first, then retrieved a bandage from a drawer of his.

Remarkably enough, he replaced her bandage without her waking, though it took some coaxing to do so. She groaned and growled against waking and she wasn't very accepting of his unwrapping and re-wrapping. Once he was finished with that, he scooped her up and placed her into his bed. He placed the cover over her and tucked her in gently. She seemed much more accepting of this than his previous doings. He kissed her forehead again and returned to his new sleeping place after pulling the curtain that separated the living space in half taught. He crawled onto the couch and yawned, curling up and wrapping a blanket around him. Both he and Victoria were out until the very next morning, both exhausted from their long day of cleaning and healing.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This one was one of my favourites to write. I know I write too much one on one things, but I can't help it. This is like a mini-story. ;) And, yes, my chapters are consecutive days. Enjoy!**

Mistoffelees and Victoria lay sheltered within the TSE 1 car. They had barely missed a heavy downpour and had quickly run to the nearest shelter possible. Now, rain was drumming hard against the hood of the old and decrepit car, but they were concealed and warm against the frigid storm.

Victoria was nestled into Mistoffelees' knee as he sat up straight, awaiting the sound of rain slackening its pace. She was amazed to find he didn't shrink from her presence. Their relationship was almost back to the way it was. All that was left to do was clear the air and get feelings out. She knew he was very protective of his feelings, though. He built walls up very well.

She rubbed a paw over his knee affectionately and that immediately got his attention. He snapped his head to her, trying to ascertain what she was doing and why. Her ears went back in embarrassment and she gave him a small assuring smile. He reciprocated it and stroked a paw over her headfur.

"Something on your mind?" he asked her softly, rubbing his thumb over one of her ears.

She leaned into his touch, purring gently. There were so many things to tell him, so many questions to ask. She had hardly had a moment to say anything to him all morning. She had found herself in his bed once more and him asleep on the couch. She had woken him up and they were torn in one direction or another. Her to get her scrape checked for infection and he to patrol for a bit. They had just caught lunch when Mistoffelees told her that it was going to rain. Once that was said, a small drop hit her nose and they dashed into the old car.

"A great many things," she replied with a little and sad smile.

"Such as?" he asked her gently, tilting her chin up to look at him.

Her eyes met his and she looked into them for a few moments. She could trust him and she could see the curiosity and concern in his eyes. He sincerely cared about her, it was evident in his eyes.

"Well, to start," she began with a steadying breath, "Yesterday, when you were taking your nap, you were mumbling in your sleep and began to give your pillow very affectionate and tender kisses. Who were you dreaming about?"

His eyes went wide and he blushed, breaking eye contact with her. He couldn't just tell her that he was dreaming about her. He wasn't sure how she'd take that. He wasn't afraid that she would be disgusted and he highly doubted she would be flattered. In fact, he thought she would just let him down easy, being polite and courteous the whole way. Thanks but no thanks. He couldn't deal with that.

"A queen I'm fond of," he replied quietly, concentrating his gaze on the floor before him.

"You must be very fond of her," she pursued the subject gently, "I mean, I thought you've never kissed anyone,"

"I-I haven't," he replied with a deeper blush, "I just get carried away in my dreams. I don't have any control over them or over myself when I sleep,"

"You don't have to be embarrassed," she told him softly, giving his knee a reassuring squeeze, "I find it rather sweet that you have such deep and sentimental feelings towards her, whoever she is,"

"Well, thank you," he replied, dipping his head gratefully though shyly, "It would be hard not to love her,"

Her eyes widened at that and her heart began to sink. He was in love, of course he was. There would be no other explanation for that kind of behaviour. She bit her lip and felt like she was about to cry. She had once thought that he may be in love with her, he had seemed to be at the Ball. That was, of course, until he had pulled back from their relationship and had started to date Electra. That had hurt so much.

He had given her a little hinting smile once he had finished speaking and he hoped she would understand it. Instead, she seemed to be almost in tears. The smile faded and was replaced by a frown. What was she so saddened about? He had to know. It pained him to see her like this.

"What's wrong my dear?" he asked her, completely unaware of his use of pet-names.

She sniffed, sitting up and wrapping her paws around his waist in a quick movement. She completely took him by surprise. He wasn't sure what to do. What had he said to cause her to cry? He bit his lip and felt incredibly guilty. He must have been the one to cause this.

"I missed you," she sniffed once more, trying to hold back her tears, "Our relationship has been so broken for a while and it's all my fault,"

"No it isn't," he told her sincerely, wrapping his arms about her and shushing her gently, "Our relationship's break is solely on my head. You did nothing to cause me to date Electra, nothing. It was my own fear and stupidity,"

"Why would you ever be afraid of me?" she asked him sadly, her watering eyes looking into his.

He couldn't help but remark at how beautiful the red of crying made her blue eyes look. The colour popped against the hue and she had the brightest blue-green eyes he had ever seen. He was lost in their see of sadness and he couldn't help but feel entirely remorseful of his selfish actions. He had caused her very heart to break, he could see that in her eyes.

"I'm not afraid of you," he told her softly, stroking a paw down her cheek, "I'm just... well... I'm just- I mean to say... um, I was just afraid of how you made me feel. I can't control it and it frightened me, so I let our relationship lapse for a little bit. I didn't mean to hurt you, honestly, I didn't. I was just thinking of myself and solely myself. I didn't know you cared about me enough to be hurt by it-"

"I'm your best friend," she cut him off indignantly, "Of course I'd be hurt by it! Then, you went out with Electra! Electra! One of my closest and best friends! You were spending every moment of your day with her, but couldn't give me the time of day! You betrayed me! You made me entirely and completely jealous of her! I never wanted to be that way, not to any of my friends! You used me at the Ball! You made me feel that you cared about me, that you loved me!"

She bit back her words, pulling away from him and clamping her paws over her mouth. She had said far too much, she knew that. They were supposed to be mending their relationship, not arguing. Why had she said all of those things? She had thought she could let them go, that he would never need to hear them. Why had she decided to say all of it now? Why did she have to hurt him so? It was clear he was hurt by her words. His features fell even further and his eyes fell to the floor.

He wasn't quite sure how he felt after hearing all of that. He wanted to be angry, and he was to a degree, but he knew that she was right. He had betrayed her by going out with a queen he didn't even love. He hadn't just played her, though. He did love her and that was what had startled him. He knew it was now the time to tell her. If he didn't he could loose her forever and he didn't want that. Perhaps, he could shed a bit of light upon this bleak situation.

"I wasn't using you, Victoria," he told her softly, glancing over to her in his small position, "Those actions and the feelings you saw at the Ball were and still are genuine. You see, I have never felt about any other cat like I feel about you. That scares me. I tend to loose everyone I care about. I've lost my mom, I don't know if my brother is alive or dead and I don't want to loose you. I'm so sorry to have made you jealous, but I'm a little bit glad. Now, I know that you care about me. Call it selfish, but it eases me quite a bit,"

She stared at him for a moment, wiping away her tears and trying to process everything he had said.

"Selfish," she finally stated after some time had passed and she gave him a small smile before asking, "And how much do you care about me?"

"Would saying that I'd lay down my life or give up my powers for you give you an inkling of an idea?" he asked her softly, looking seriously into her eyes, "Because that begins to explain the feeling,"

"That paints a much clearer picture," she nodded, "Extreme as it is,"

"I feel for you extremely," he told her with feeling, "I love you more than my life itself,"

Victoria's eyes grew wide and she couldn't help but gawk at him at those words. He loved her? She was so amazingly surprised, but as she looked back on everything, it all made sense. Once her den had caved in, he had taken her in after ignoring her for an extensive period of time. How could that be anything but love?

Mistoffelees took her silence as a negative sign and he quickly thought of something to prove his love. He was loosing her again!

"Victoria, when I had heard that your den caved in," he took a moment to steady himself, trying not to cry, but the tears still came forth, "I was afraid that you were trapped inside. I was so scared for you, I thought I had lost you forever! I couldn't stand the thought! I had to make sure you were okay. I had to keep watch over you and make your safety constant. I love you, I really do. Please, don't say it's too late,"

She gave him a gentle smile and wrapped her arms about him, holding him as closely and as comfortingly as she could manage. She shushed him gently, running a paw through his ebony headfur. She stroked him and held him until his sobs became less violent. It was her turn to share her feelings.

"Mistoffelees," she whispered into his ear, "When I saw you dreaming yesterday, I wished it was me you were dreaming about. I wanted to be the one you were kissing. I have waited for you for a very long time and now I don't have to. You see, I love you more than anything in this world,"

He pulled back from her to look into her eyes. She gently smiled and gave him a kiss on the nose. He returned it with a kiss to her forehead. There was no more use for words. They were both in tears and they couldn't choke out one single phrase. Instead, they fell to nuzzling and holding each other. Mistoffelees kissed over her whole face, showing his love instead of speaking of it. Victoria was willing to reciprocate. Their relationship had finally been restored after so much heartache. Even though the storm had abated, they remained in the hood of the TSE 1, caressing and catching up on affections that were sorely missed.


	5. Chapter 5

"I will not stand for any nephew of mine to continue to live in such an imprudent and improper manner!" stated a very large and incredibly angry Bustopher Jones to an unbelievably frustrated and hurt Mistoffelees.

"I'm trying to tell you, Uncle," Mistoffelees stated once more, the desperation and despondency not only apparent on his features, but also in his voice, "Victoria isn't living with me like that! I took her in because her den collapsed,"

"But you are involved with her emotionally," The portly gentleman cat pointed out.

Misto sighed and bit his lip, trying to give a reply that wouldn't lead them in a ridiculously circular argument once more. His uncle had burst into his den, which was quite an amazing feat for such a robust cat, and had demanded to speak with him. Mistoffelees, who had been in the middle of a very interesting conversation with Victoria immediately acquiesced to the cat who had always had a great impact upon his life and who he always looked up to. To say that this conversation was hurting him would be a great understatement. Misto was deeply wounded.

His uncle had assumed Victoria and Mistoffelees were living together, in a romantic sense. Of course, Mistoffelees tried to explain the circumstances of the situation to the Cat About Town, but his uncle was not believing him. He had said that Misto couldn't possibly live with a queen and have good intentions. Once he asked Misto if he had feelings for her and ascertained he did, in fact, love her, he felt all the more justified in his opinion. Mistoffelees wasn't exactly the cat who was well-versed in expressing himself. With the added emotional strain and frustration, it was even harder for him to say what he wanted to. He could barely cut a word in edgewise, without having his argument shot down and disproved in his uncle's own mind.

"I do love her, yes," Mistoffelees admitted once again, hanging his head and closing his eyes, "But, I am not doing anything unwholesome or of ill-repute. I love her, afterall-"

"And you're mother 'loved' that fiend who is also your father!" Bustopher shot back, interrupting the little tuxedo and crushing him all at once by the intensity of his anger, "She wasn't old enough to know what love was! You can't be either!"

Mistoffelees took that comment like a shot to the heart. All of his life he had thought his uncle loved him unconditionally, even though he was hardly ever there. It was as if Bustopher expected him to make the wrong choice. His father may have been the Napolean of crime, but he himself wasn't. He had been raised on the path of righteousness. This reality of how his uncle perceived him stung more than words could ever express.

Slowly and sadly, he lifted up his gaze to look into the eyes of the older cat. This cat did not know who he was or what he stood for. There wasn't any point in trying to change Busotpher's misconceptions, but he would defend himself.

"No matter what my age or how inexperienced I am," the young cat began softly, "I am still in love with her. I would never take advantage of her or hurt her. I didn't take her in for my benefit. I took her in so she could have a place to live,"

"If you want anything to do with me, you will either take that queen as your mate or turn her out," Bustopher told him firmly.

"Then, perhaps, I don't want anything to do with you," Mistoffelees responded quietly, with his melancholy gazed fixed upon the ground once more.

Though the ever portly cat didn't show it, that answer hurt him very much. He was only trying to put his nephew upon the right track. Though it may have seemed like abuse of power, he did love his nephew and he was doing the best he could to right the situation. Instead, his nephew refused or so it seemed to him.

"Very well," Bustopher Jones replied with a cut nod and with nothing more to say he left the den.

With far too many bottled emotions to be in a healthy state of mind or heart, Misto quickly teleported to his favourite clearing where he could release his pent up emotions and energy. It began with clearing objects away with his powers, to slamming things into each other, then to electrocuting anything in his gaze. Soon enough, he was growling and clawing things. He had wanted to be respectful and listen to his oldest uncle. Instead, he had been hurt deeper than most ever could have hurt him. Running his claws over the hood of an decrepit car hood, he began to cry. He lay his head upon the cool and unfeeling metal, sobbing his heart into the unforgiving surface. He was ashamed that he couldn't make his uncle understand or that after the relationship had ended he was upset enough to let his powers and his hurt take control. He was a gentle and sensitive cat. Those raging emotions always frightened him and he regretted his behaviour. He wasn't normally given to growling, clawing and electrocuting. That type of reaction should be expected of Macavity, not him.

As he reflected over these things with his head still down and bitter laboured sobs wracked his sides, he felt a gentle paw upon his shoulder. He quickly sat up and faced the cat who had touched him. Thank Heaviside that it was only Victoria, with a worried and empathetic look upon her pretty features. With any other cat he would have either have disappeared or have tried to excuse himself. Instead, he quickly pulled her into an embrace, burying his face against her neck and sobbing even further. She held onto him, awaiting him to recompose himself and tell her what happened.

In truth, she had been waiting outside of his den during the argument and she had heard a lot of things that she had dearly wished she hadn't. Bustopher's opinion of her didn't settle well with her, but the way he perceived Mistoffelees, her sweet and gentle lover, had hurt her far more. She could feel with every retort and opinionated statement the Conjurer's loss of confidence and the pain he received. She held him all the tighter, shushing him gently and giving him gentle licks over his headfur as he released the hurt that must have been bottled over an extensive period of time. She had never had to comfort him through such violent tears as these. It broke her heart to see him in such a saddened and forlorn state as this.

Eventually, Mistoffelees mustered up enough composure to stop sobbing and he slowly pulled away from her, giving her a halfhearted little smile to show he was feeling better than he had been. He wiped away his tears and took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. He was no longer feeling angry or ill-used. Instead, he was simply feeling sombre and weary.

After a few beats of silence, she asked him his thoughts and feelings as well as what had happened. He took her paw and began to stroke it as he told her the entirety of what had happened. She could tell that he was holding onto her more for his sake than hers. Through this entire explanation of events, Mistoffelees also gave her the feelings each comment gave as well as why it caused him to feel in such a way. She had never heard him express his emotions to anyone and felt very privileged to be held in such high confidence on his part, but she was deeply sorry that he had been hurt by such and esteemed family member. Misto had been embittered, of course, and she had to talk him through it and bring things to his attention he had either forgotten or that simply hadn't occurred to him. She also let him see a bit of his uncle's side of the matter as well as his possible motivation. In the end, she reminded him that his uncle was doing it out of love, even though it hadn't translated that way.

Though he was still far too hurt to accept all she said and he was nowhere near ready to forgive, he had to admit some of her points were valid. It was nice to have a third opinion from a cat who wasn't emotionally involved and who could see both sides, even if she was a bit partial to his point of view. Still, she was a great source of comfort and her points soothed his injured heart. He lay his head upon her lap and listened to her wisdom, rather surprised she was so accurate and level-headed. He hadn't experienced this side of her first-hand and he was quickly falling in love with it. He needed to hear all she had to say.

She pet over his headfur, giving her advice on the situation and her view. Though he was entirely invested in the conversation, she was the main one to speak. He would add a comment every so often, but he mainly listened to each and every word she uttered. She could tell he was seriously contemplating upon everything she said.

"Now, my only question is," she began, treading cautiously upon the subject because she knew he was in a slightly volatile state, "Why didn't you just tell him that you were going to ask me and then ask me to be your mate?"

"I wanted to surprise you," he mumbled, "I had some things planned and I didn't wish to be forced into asking you. I didn't want to be pressured by his ultimatum. I was hurt and offended,"

"But, I wouldn't mind you asking, even if it was prompted by him," she whispered softly, stroking over his head and fixing the little tuft of fur between his ears, "After all, I do love you, you know,"

She couldn't help but hint about how she felt as far as proposing went. She would want nothing more than to have him ask her to become his mate. It was all she had ever hoped for, above all else. He had her now, forever.

He didn't respond at first, too consumed by his newfound thoughts. What would be so wrong with him asking her now? They both knew of the others' feelings, what was keeping them? Why hadn't he thought of this before? He must have been too concerned with his uncle's disaproval. That mattered not now, so he had nothing holding him back.

"Why can't I ask now?" he wondered aloud, sitting up from her lap, "There is no one who would stop us,"

"Exactly," she agreed with a wide smile.

"Then, would you do me the honor of becoming my one and only mate?" he asked her sincerely, looking into her eyes.

"No," she repsonded after a thoughtful moment, though it was obvious she was only teasing.

"What?" he asked, entirely taken aback for an instant.

"I'm just teasing," she laughed, throwing herself into his embrace, "I would want nothing more than to be your mate Stoff, and that's my honest answer,"

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and he gave her a small and disapproving scoff. She could be so playful and silly at times.

"Don't do that," he scolded her gently, "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"After all you've gone through today, how could I possibly refuse you?" she asked gently, giving his forehead a kiss.

"Hmm... and that's why I love you," he purred, giving her neck a few teasing kisses.

"We're not mates yet!" she exclaimed, batting him away playfully.

"But we will be," he purred softly and seriously, "We will be,"

**A/N: At first, this was my least favourite chapter to write because I hate having verbal conflict and I wasn't quite sure where I wanted my story to head. It does make for a good story, though and that's why I pushed through it. Once I got to writing it, though, it wasn't a big deal. I hope you all liked it as much as I do.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This was simply far too fun to write! I can't even express why. I guess it's because I love theatre so much and ****it's because it has the right amount of fluff, but not too much. ****I hope you all enjoy. I know I'm uploading these all too fast! **

"What do you mean, 'sold out?'" Mistoffelees demanded of the ticket-booth teller, his mouth agape in a look of utter disbelief.

"Sorry kid," the gray tom replied, "But all tickets for the great Rumpus cat are officially sold out. Nothin' I can do,"

Mistoffelees turned away from the booth angry and disappointed, less aggravated at the fact that he had been termed as a kid as he was at the fact that he had tried to purchase tickets at the last minute. He had found an add that morning talking about the new Rumpus cat musical that was in town. He had read the article and had found that Admetus himself was playing the Hero cat. Admetus was a great performer, but was very humble and shy about his career. He hadn't told anyone in the 'yard about the performance and today was the last show.

Victoria had been equally as excited, seeing as Mistoffelees had sparked a love of the hero cat in her as well. She was an aspiring actress herself and Misto had wanted to surprise her with tickets to a show that they could both appreciate. It was supposed to be a mateship gift, of sorts. Instead, he had to come up with something else. He had also wanted to spend some of the money his uncle Bustopher had given him before their argument. In truth, he was being a bit spiteful, but he was still hurt by what the elder cat had said. He justified it as being his own money and having every right to spend it where he wished instead of where his uncle had suggested. It didn't matter now, though. He wasn't spending it either way.

He trudged back home to the yard and to his fiance. She wasn't as upset as he was, but she was sympathetic and a little disappointed. She suggested that he catch up with his friends to take his mind off of it while she went to jelly's to get her side checked. She had forgotten to report to the medical den in the passed few days and it was high-time she had them examine it.

She was right, as she often was, in suggesting such a thing. Pouncival had improved on his back-tuck and he wanted Misto to be the first to see. Tumblebrutus had finally asked Jemima out and they were dating, much to Mistoffelees' surprise. Munkustrap hadn't been all to keen on his daughters dating, but he must have relented or Demeter must have persuaded him. Either way, it was happening. Although, Electra still wished to remain single. Just as he was receiving this news, the queen herself came up to him and demanded to speak with him.

She began to question why she hadn't seen him for so many days, where had he been hiding out and why she had heard rumours that Victoria was staying with him. Giving her the information with great caution and care, he began to explain where he had been and what he had been up to. She was entirely shocked that he was engaged to Victoria and he steeled himself against a slap that he was almost positive was coming. Instead, Electra told him that she was happy he had found someone and it was obvious to everyone that Victoria was the right choice. She admitted she had never truly loved him and that she had been more focused on having a tomfriend than being invested in one. She hugged him suddenly, wishing him all the happiness in the world and he returned the hug, surprised as he was. He never would have expected her to do that in a million years.

At that time, Victoria came around the bend and smiled at the sight, though she was inwardly uncertain as to what was going on. The worry ceased, however, as Electra came to her and hugged her and explained that Misto had told her the great news. She was given such flattery by the queen she hardly knew how to reply except by returning her offered embrace and thanking her in abundance. It filled her with gratitude to know it was important enough for the other queen to tell her how much she deserved Misto, even if it wasn't entirely true.

"You better take care of her," the feisty little queen told Mistoffelees sternly as she let go of the white queen, cocking her brow in a slight warning, "Otherwise, I will have to kick your sorry butt!"

"I would never do any less you silly little queen," he laughed, coming over to Victoria, "Therefore, the beating of my quote, unquote 'sorry tail,' is unnecessary,"

She scoffed, rolled her eyes and looked to Victoria.

"If he ever hurts you or his nerdiness drives you mad, just let me know,"

"Don't worry, you'll be the first I tell," Victoria laughed, giving the stunned and offended tom a gentle nuzzle, "Although, I find his geeky intelligence to be quite adorable,"

"And you must speak such words about me in my presence, must you?" he asked her in a soft tone.

"I prefer it that way," she returned smugly, kissing his cheek.

"You love birds are too much for me, I'll see you two around," Electra exclaimed and dashed off after a quick wave.

They both laughed at the antics of the younger queen as she left and were once again left alone in the yard. Victoria took Misto's paw in hers and gave him a small and shy smile. The mirth subsided from them both and Misto was left feeling a deep connection to her hat left him partly breathless. He wanted to embrace her and smother her with kisses, but he refrained. They were still not mates quite yet. Munkustrap had asked them to become mates tomorrow and though he hated to wait, he knew Munk was right. Old Deuteronomy should be the one to officially unite them as mates. It would do his old heart great good.

Victoria, meanwhile could feel his gaze upon her and she blushed intensely. He was so attractive and handsome, she couldn't help but look him over. There was also something she wanted to tell him. She had a trick up her sleeve, so to speak, and she knew he would be incredibly excited once she told him. In fact, the sooner, the better.

"Hey, Misto?" she asked him softly, grasping his other paw.

"Yes? What is it?" he responded with a slight bit of worry as well as curiosity.

"Remember how the Great Rumpus Cat show is sold out?" she began, unsure of how to put it.

"I thought you said to let it go," he told her, his brow furrowing in a look of muffled suspicion.

"Yes, well, this morning while you were asleep, I saw that add and went and bought us tickets. I didn't say anything once you went to buy them because I wanted it to be a surprise. I thought we could use yours to invite a friend or two, but I like it better this way. It'll just be you and me... Stoff? Are you alright?"

She had begun to ramble on, but then realized that he was staring at her in complete shock. He blinked several times, unable to give her a verbal reply. Once reality sunk in and he knew she wasn't kidding, he pulled her into an embrace, swung her around in a circle and kissed her full upon the lips. She pulled back in utter alarm. She hadn't expected such a response from him.

"For shame Misto!" she laughed, giving him a confused look, "We aren't mates yet! We were supposed to save our first kiss for the mateship ceremony, remember?"

"Oops," he laughed as well, covering his mouth with his paws to regain himself, "I'm sorry, I just didn't know how else to thank you. Words can't express how grateful or how excited I am!"

"I've never seen you so excited about anything!" she marveled, looking him over with a bemused expression, "Anything else you're passionate about that I might need to know,"

"Hmm, puppeteering and puppets," he replied after a brief pause, "I like to manipulate marionettes with my powers. It's a small hobby of mine,"

She tucked that information away with a slow nod. She never would have guessed that in a million years. She had known him all her life and yet he still surprised her. Maybe one day, he would actually put on a show, even if it was just for her.

Suddenly, she realized that it was time for them to head to the show, or they would be late. She and Mistoffelees quickly dashed out of the yard without much explanation to the other cats around and ran as fast as they could to the theatre. Once they were halfway, Mistoffelees realized that he could transport them there and they quickly skid to a halt. He groomed his untidy appearance, fix hers as well and teleported them to the doors of the theater. The cat in the ticket booth was about to reiterate that they were sold out when Victoria showed her already purchased tickets. The cat exclaimed that Mistoffelees was entirely lucky to have such a good friend and he agreed, even though he was annoyed the cat called them both kittens due to their size as well as their young looks. Victoria just laughed it off and guided Misto into the theater. They sat directly center on the first row and Mistoffelees almost kissed her once more, but she quickly redirected his kiss to her cheek and reminded him of how soon they were going to be mates.

The show itself was fantastic and Admetus played his role flawlessly, almost as if he was the very Rumpus Cat himself. Nothing, however, could compare to the fact that Mistoffelees sat next to his future mate, holding her paw the entire show as she fully enjoyed it and kept pointing things out to him, leaning as closely into his side as she could. His heart was full to overflowing and he didn't possibly know how things could get any better until the show ended and Admetus noticed them at the final bows. Once the show ended officially, he came up to them and offered to take them backstage. Victoria was so astounded that Misto had to take the invitation for her. Seeing her marvel at everything and ask so many acting related questions gave Mistoffelees a new found joy. She even met other actors who were interested in the same field as she was. She was so overwhelmed, that she had to hold onto Misto's paw and he gave her a confidence and a comfort that aided her in interacting with the other actors. She had made connections and the director even asked her to come into an audition he was holding soon.

Once all was said and done, they returned home entirely excited and raving about their whole evening. This was such a turn of events from their day yesterday. Bustopher's words hurt even less now than they had earlier in the day. Though they were both full of their day and running on adrenaline, they were quite tired as well and had no trouble in falling asleep once they had settled down to bed and Misto had kissed her forehead and bid her goodnight and she reciprocated the gesture. He had even tucked her in and tickled her slightly. They were so exhausted, they had completely forgotten they were to become mates the next day. If they had recalled it, there would have been no sleeping for either of them. Thankfully, the Everlasting Cat kept it from their minds until the morning. There would be plenty more excitement to be had the following morning once Munkustrap came to retrieve them without them loosing an necessary sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/n: And here my little story winds to a close. Although, it should honestly be called a beginning. Anyhow, I hope you all enjoy this! This was one of my favourite chapters to write, although I loved writing them all, really. Fanfiction says this is under 2,000 words, by my word count says this is exactly 2,000 words. Go figure, right? Oh, well. Have fun reading and I might continue on this a little bit after the contest is judged. Not quite sure yet. It depends on my readers enjoying this. :D**

Mistoffelees released a small amount of pent up electricity for what had to be the fiftieth time. He was so nervous, he almost felt like vomiting. He was stationed outside of Old Deuteronomy's den, anxiously pacing and awaiting for the elderly tom's verdict of whether or not he would actually allow for Victoria and him to become mates. The poor tom had already chewed his fore claws down to stubs and he tried to keep his mind off the inside of that den and what was being discussed. Not being able to have Victoria as his own would not only render him to a puddle of tears, but it would also be taking away his greatest joy in life. He was so incredibly connected to the queen and she had become his whole existence. There was no living without her now.

After what seemed like days, but was only an hour, Munkustrap emerged with old Deuteronomy and the wise and august leader gave Misto the all clear and his blessing. Of course, the young tuxedo tom couldn't help but leap into the elderly tom's embrace and lick him profusely over the face to show his gratitude.

The next few hours were immediately thrust into a hustle and bustle of getting everything set and ready for a mateship ceremony, which was slightly different than a Coming of Age ceremony as happens every year at the Jellicle Ball. Bridekits and Groomstoms were chosen as well as a Kit of Honour and a Best-Tom. The clearing was set up and cleaned. Lighting and decortaions were hung all about. The tom and queen in question were in a pre-mateship counsel session with Old Deuteronomy as he made sure they were prepared for mateship and lay out the foundation of what it meant and what it entailed.

Throughout this whole process, Mistoffelees couldn't help but recall a kittenhood memory of his. One day, all of the kittens in the junkyard had been incredibly bored and they were unable to come up with a game. The three tomkits, which consisted of Tumblebrutus, Pouncival and Mistoffelees, had had their turn choosing the games and it had come time for the queen-kits to come up with one. They were comprised of Victoria, Etcetera, Electra and Jemima at the time. The girls had no idea of what to play until Etcy had suggested they play "wedding." Basically, they were going to have a mock mateship ceremony and all of the girls immediately picked Victoria as their Bride because of her white pelt. Mistoffelees had been chosen as the groom given his tuxedo appearance. At first, the game had been simple and self-explanatory, but Etcy had to correct everyone on everything they were doing wrong and inform them how to do it correctly. Though he, Tumble and Victoria were all older than she was, they relented to her berating them and played along, though it was rather berudgingly. In the end, the game had turned into the most stressful mateship ever. Though, now he reflected that that stress wasn't quite far from the truth. Although, once they had become 'mates' in the game, they hadn't known how to continueon with the game. He hoped that his mateship wouldn't end in such a way. He thought he had a pretty accurate idea of what would happen and how things would be after they became mates. The best part was he was going to have her all to himself very soon. He could barely keep patient on that point.

When they had the chance, Mistoffelees shared his musings with Victoria and she laughed, having completely forgotten about that game for quite some time. She assured Stoff that their mateship wouldn't end as quickly as it had in the game, if it would ever end at all. She turned serious for a moment as she began to reflect over their future together and promised never to leave him or abandon their mateship and he reciprocated with the exact same promise, a verbal covenant forever made between them. They were willing to fight anything out for their mateship.

Soon, Victoria left to get ready and Mistoffelees had to as well. He donned his magical accoutrements, making sure that he looked his ultimate best for his mate to be. He even sparkled just a little bit brighter, for her sake. Though, if he was going to be entirely honest with himself, he couldn't sparkle any less. It usually tended to happen the most when he was excited.

Meanwhile, Victoria was being dressed by all of her friends. Although Jellicles never wore clothes, they could still accessorize. They fitted a white satin bow around her waist, leaving the tails to drag the ground almost like a train of a gown. Jenny had fashioned a type of veil out of some chiffon and a human hair clip. She had even accentuated it with beads, sequins and lace. When she brought it out, Victoria put her paw over her mouth, both the beauty of the gift as well as the full force of the situation finally overcoming her. She was finally going to be the queen of the tom of her dreams. She had found her other half, and they were going to live out their days supporting each other, loving each other and walking paw in paw through life. She was overwhelmed with a bought of happy tears and all of her friends circled her in a loving embrace, their eyes misting over as well. Their beautiful friend had finally found a tom she deserved and could be more than happy with.

Once she was finished with her tears, Bombalurina touched up some of her fur with a bit of makeup, though it was hardly noticeable compared to Victoria's the absolute joy upon Victoria's face. The alabaster queen knew she could compose herself walking down the isle, and Bomba assured her that it was better to get the tears out now. Once the girls were down with their preening and dressing, they were ready. All they had to do was wait for Munkustrap to come and retrieve them. Unfortunately, Victoria had never known her father and he wasn't alive and able to walk his daughter down the isle. Thankfully, Munkustrap, who was like a father to her in so many ways, took that duty upon himself. He had adopted her into his home, after all. It only seemed right.

Mr. Mistoffelees was now waiting in the clearing, adjusting the brim of his top hat every so often. Tugger, who was the chosen best Tom much to the chagrin of Jellylorum, batted Misto's paws away, suggesting the young tom relax.

"My advice is that you don't lock your knees and you save vomiting 'til after the ceremony," the Curious Cat had told him with a wink, "Oh, and try no to cry,"

Mistoffelees assured Tugger that he was not going to and he needn't worry. Tugger took Misto's word doubtfully and said his experience from becoming mates with Bomba was that it was inevitable that one of them would cry. Misto rolled his eyes, but gave no response as Munkustrap double checked everything before retrieving Victoria.

As with a human wedding, Jellicles have everyone gather and sit as they watch the two cats become joined as one. The one performing the ceremony stands before the middle of the isle and the soon-to-be couple stands before him, facing each other. The groomtoms and bridekits stand off to the sides, much like bridesmaids and groomsmen. However, the sermon is given by song, what humans would term as 'vows' are sung and a mateship dance is involved in order for the mates to officially be united. They themselves are the ones to create the dance together, just like their love as well as their life together. Jellicles take their symbolism very seriously.

This mateship proceeded no differently. White rose petals were strewn down the isle as the bridekits made their way to the side and Mistoffelees had to steel his nerves as the ceremony started. Once he caught sight of Victoria, his heart filled with such emotion that he couldn't help but cry. She looked so radiant and beautiful, and she was finally going to become his. The only queen he had ever loved and wanted was almost bound to him forever. His dreams were coming true!

Tugger rolled his eyes as he perceived this, but said nothing as he noted his brother was crying as well. Technically, this was Munkustrap's first time giving away one of his daughters. It was obviously very emotional for him as well. Tugger tried to keep his thoughts away from helping to raise these two that were before him. He scratched under his eye, pretending that he wasn't wiping away a tear.

The sermon was lovely, the vows were beautiful, but nothing could outshine the elegant waltz that the couple danced before they were bid to kiss. There were many added lifts, spins and exceptional footwork, though that was to be expected from the two greatest dancers in the junkyard. There wasn't a dry eye in the yard once they were finished and Mistoffelees brought his lips upon hers in a gentle kiss. The dance represented all of the times they had been so close, only to be pulled apart by one circumstance or another. It only seemed right to end the dance as close together as possible and with such a simple expression of love. Though, Tugger couldn't help but give a fox whistle as the kiss was executed and Mistoffelees, with the added encouragement, lifted Victoria into his arms and swung her around.

Once the ceremony was over, all of the Jellicles came to congratulate them and nuzzle the two cats, accepting them as a unit instead of two individual cats. Then, much dancing was to be had and rejoicing! All Jellicles want an excuse to dance and this seemed the perfect opportunity. Although, no one noticed the new couple quickly slipping away to Mistoffelees' den.

The first thing to happen was the removal of that blasted curtain that had kept them separate. Victoria also verbally gifted Mistoffelees with his bed, telling him he could own it once more. He suggested a better idea, that they share it and she heartily agreed. Although, she wasn't prepared for the kiss that followed such an agreement.

"My lips are further down, genius," she laughed softly, helping Misto to aim properly.

He couldn't help but laugh, though he continued to kiss her through his mirth, allowing his paws to trail down the length of her back for the very first time. This was a new experience for them both, and they were the slightest bit hesitant with each other, unsure of what to do exactly. They both wanted to express their love, and tried the best they could before they let nature take its course. After some time of purring, stroking and loving, Mistoffelees became very sleepy and curled up upon his bed, his arm about Victoria's waist as he settled down to sleep. They were exhausted, especially the tuxedo tom, from the events of the day and nothing could end this day better than a night of sleeping side by side. Victoria had never seen Mistoffelees so at peace before and she gave him one last kiss before nuzzling underneath his neck and settling there.

"I love you," Mistoffelees murmured with his eyes closed as he begun to fall asleep and he gave her a lethargic lick over the forehead, "You are amazing,"

Victoria smiled gently and kissed against his neck, receiving a crackling, fatigued purr in response.

"I love you too, Stoff," she purred against his throat, giving an incredibly contented sigh as she closed her eyes to sleep.

There was no doubting their love for each other, especially after a night like this. They slept soundly as they dreamed about their future to come, a smile upon their faces.

**By the by, if it has spelling or grammar mistakes, I am so sorry for it! I have just been hurrying to finish these chapters off in record time. I will go back and fix them, I promise!**


End file.
